Should You Leave Your Gun In The Car?

Should You Leave Your Gun In The Car?We’ve all been there; you’re out running errands and you realize you are heading somewhere where firearms are not allowed. Whether it’s the post office or your kids’ school you can’t legally take your gun with you. So you have a choice to make; don’t bring your handgun with you for any of your trip or leave it in the car when needed. You may also feel you have no choice but to leave your firearm in the car wherever you go if you do not have a CWL. So is it a good idea to leave your firearm in the car? I’m not here to say that you shouldn’t keep a gun in the car, I just want to ensure we look at this practice for what it is; a calculated risk.Get Your CWLFirst things first, get your CWL. There is no excuse for you to have not already done this; JFDI (just…do it). Click Here to schedule the class today with one of our excellent instructors at Aegis Tactical. This removes most of the anxiety in leaving a firearm in your vehicle because 99% of the time you will no longer need to. You will carry your self-defense gun concealed and have it readily available when you need to protect yourself and your family. Note that there will be instances where you still cannot take your firearm with you.Compact SafeAs discussed in our blog last week there are a number of compact mobile safes that could be used to house your firearm in your vehicle when you have no choice but to leave it behind. The glove compartment can be locked but can also be easily broken into during a smash and grab. I would recommend using a MicroVault-style safe under the seat and attached (with the steel cable) to the main bracket. This won’t stop a professional but it should stall the opportunist thief just long enough to hopefully prevent them from stealing your firearm. At the same time if the vehicle is stolen, the firearm is likely gone forever; a mobile safe is only a deterrent, it won’t stop a pro that came prepared with bolt cutters.Anti-Gun Retail Outlets: Know your state laws regarding where you can and cannot carry a concealed firearm so you don’t feel the pressure from these political moves. Recently a number of retail outlets and restaurants have started posting No Guns Allowed stickers on their doors. In most cases you are under no legal obligation to abide by this request; again check your state laws to confirm. The premise of carrying concealed is that nobody knows you have your firearm anyway so you really shouldn’t have any issue in those places if you are doing it right. However if they see you are carrying and ask you to leave, then you have a different problem entirely if you refuse.Plan AheadYou’ve decided you need to go to the post office, so you leave your gun in the car. If you are in a bad area of town known for higher rates of crime and you have to park your vehicle in a secluded spot, perhaps rethink the necessity of the visit at that very moment. Is there a different location in a safer area where your vehicle is less likely to be broken into or stolen? Can you wait for another day even and leave your firearm at home this time? This is now an ethical decision; as the owner of your firearm you are responsible for its safe keeping. Just like negligent discharge, there are steps you can take in order to minimize the potential for something bad to happen. Example: You want to swim in the ocean today; is your need to swim so great that you’d jump into shark-infested waters at dusk? Assess the risk and ask yourself if the perceived benefit is worth it.DiscretionDon’t let the COPS TV show fool you; not all criminals are stupid meth addicts. In fact, some are artfully devious and cunning and could outwit you without your knowledge. I think we can all agree it would be a very bad idea to leave your car unlocked and your gun on the dashboard for all to see. However there are a multitude of other factors that criminals can home in on prior to targeting you. If I saw a car with the following bumper stickers; Feel the Bern, Legalize Pot and $15 Minimum Wage, I think it reasonable to assume I could break into the car and find a bong, a McDonald’s uniform and a tie-dye hoodie (maybe even a pamphlet on how wealth redistribution works too). Likewise if your car is emblazoned with Clint Eastwood quotes, Spartan heads and gun stickers it creates a perception that could make you a potential target. So again while there is nothing wrong with doing this, just understand that it tells people you like guns, probably have guns and quite possibly have one with you that could be left in the car; this makes you an attractive prospect to a criminal. This is why I wouldn’t recommend moving the gun to the trunk when you exit the vehicle for storing; if someone is prospecting you, now they have confirmation that you have something valuable.I must add here a note on social media. Today’s American people are far too happy to give away all their personal information on sites such as Facebook and Instagram. Know that when a criminal is looking at your page and sees your new SilencerCo. Osprey 45 and then sees your car, license plate and home address they are adding you to a list. When they check back in and see you posting pics while you vacation in Hawaii, they might just stop by and leave you having to explain to the ATF what the hell happened to your suppressor.Ultimately the decision to leave your gun in the car, whether for a short period of time or longer is yours to make. Just understand that with each factor and variable comes a risk association; none of which go for you, just some are less unfavorable than others. As responsible gun owners we have a duty to keep guns out of the hands of criminals; let’s not make it easy for those bastards. (TW)

6 thoughts on “Should You Leave Your Gun In The Car?”

Whoever wrote this piece, in my opinion, is a very good writer. It is refreshing to read something that makes an excellent point, does so in a meaningful, intelligent, well-written way and makes it fun to read. Great Job!

Great article. I’ve been bickering on social media with a group of ppl who live in my county, about guns being stolen from cars repeatedly – maybe two-three reports every month for at least two years. I belong to a Facebook group that people report crimes on and it happens every week almost. Somebody lost a gun in a car break-in.

My opinion is that IF you are going to leave your gun in your car 24/7, you should lock it up. Not slip it in the glovebox, under the seat, or above the visor. I believe you owe your community the respect of being responsible for the gun at all times, which includes ensuring it’s out of easy reach of thieves.

I’ve been attacked by numerous people telling me I’m “siding with the thieves” because people have a right to leave their items including guns, in their cars. I’ve been called many names, insulted, even phone called with harassing calls by people who don’t believe that gun owners should be responsible enough to put their guns in a car safe, OR take them inside their homes, at night.

So I’m glad to find at least one person in the USA, who tends to believe like I do-that there are alternatives to leaving one’s gun readily available in a car.

I’d like to also comment on social media as well: in the arguments I’ve had online with people in my county, I’m constantly amazed at the ones who tell EVERYTHING about themselves which is just sitting on social media ripe for thieves. People tell how many guns they own, where they stash them (usually in their car), where they live, and so on — they think they’re talking big, bragging, or intimidating potential thieves. I am confident people are looking at their comments & putting them on short lists as targets. I am really just amazed at how ridiculous people are sometimes, in letting their egos get the best of them.

In my county in Missouri, we get reports almost every week of someone having gun stolen from their automobile. I don’t get why it continues to happen, in the same county. Don’t people read or pay attention? You’d think after one or two times, gun owners would wise up and figure out that it’s NOT a great idea to leave your gun under your car seat in your driveway.

Yet again and again, our county experiences gun thefts that seem like they could be avoided, simply by the owner taking precaution to make it harder to steal. Most of the car break-ins we are experiencing seem to be grab and go–I don’t think thieves are going to spend much time trying to pry open or pry out, a gun safe in a car. I’ve made this point on our local forum, and in return have been harassed and called all kinds of names by people who tell me I’m “taking the side of thieves” instead of sympathizing with the victims — saying I have no “right” to criticize the victims of gun thefts. etc etc. I don’t get that mindset — and have given up defending myself b/c I realize you can’t fix stupid people…and that’s who I am dealing with at this point.

If you ever decide to take your gun with you in the car. Make sure to hide it well. If you park your car on some shady parking lot, and have the gun visible. Well, then you can expect to have your window broken when you return.

With guns come responsibilities, think twice before you leave your gun in the car